Scene: "Baby, the World Knows. Let's Make It Worth It."
(Continuation)
---
Valt's Hotel Suite – Moments Later
The door clicked shut behind Shu with finality, the echo of Kristin's stomping heels fading down the hallway like thunder after a storm. Silence filled the room for half a beat.
Then—
"Want to recreate last night again, baby?"
Shu's low, teasing voice practically purred the sentence.
Valt turned around slowly, half-buttoned shirt still sliding off one shoulder, blanket trailing from his legs.
He looked Shu up and down—his smirking, shirtless self with those very familiar bedroom eyes—then gave him a long, flat "I swear I could throw you into orbit" look.
"…Seriously?" Valt asked, crossing his arms.
Shu leaned against the bedpost, arms wide like an open invitation. "I mean, the mood's here. The view's great. I'm still starving—just for something that's not waffles."
Valt looked skyward like the ceiling might deliver him. "I regret everything."
"Do you?" Shu asked, grinning devilishly.
Valt looked at him again—really looked—and that soft flutter in his chest betrayed him instantly. The messed-up hair, the sharp collarbones, the faint mark Valt had left on his neck last night…
He groaned, flopping back on the bed dramatically. "I want to yeet you off the balcony and then kiss you senseless."
Shu laughed, crawling back onto the bed beside him, tugging him down into the sheets once more. "Then do both. I'll fall just to get kissed again."
But before Shu could make another move—
BZZZT!
BZZZT BZZZT!
PING!
PINGPINGPINGPINGPING!!!
Valt's phone lit up. So did Shu's. And the hotel room's TV flickered on with an automatic WBBA news channel.
Valt blinked, reaching for his phone with a rising sense of dread. "Wait. Why's it blowing up like this?"
Shu frowned slightly and leaned over to peek.
Then they saw it.
---
[BREAKING NEWS]
"World Champion Valt Aoi and Former Prodigy Shu Kurenai Caught in Romantic Scandal"
> Photos leaked from hotel lobby, captured by press. Shirtless Shu Kurenai spotted answering hotel door. World Champion seen with suspicious marks on neck.
Speculation arises around relationship status, honeymoon rumors, and WBBA professionalism.
Kristin Castillo declines comment.
---
Valt screamed into a pillow.
Shu, of course, looked way too proud.
And then—
The Legendary Bladers Group Chat exploded.
---
[Legendary Bladers Chat – 🔥Beyblades & Burnouts🔥]
Free De La Hoya:
💀 VALT. WHAT. THE. HELL.
I blinked and suddenly you're having a hotel honeymoon with Kurenai???
Lui Shirosagi:
💀💀💀💀💀💀
I KNEW HE WAS POSSESSIVE BUT THIS IS NEXT LEVEL
DID HE LEAVE TEETH MARKS????
Phi:
oh. so that's why my WBBA invitation got "delayed."
cute.
Aiga:
GUYS GUYS GUYS I'M TOO YOUNG FOR THIS
Ranjiro:
SOMEONE CHECK IF VALT IS ALIVE. BLINK TWICE IF YOU'RE SAFE.
Hyuga:
I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BATTLE GROUP CHAT
NOT A BEDROOM BLITZ CHAT
Free:
Shu, you demon.
You absolute menace.
I want a full explanation.
NO. I want a presentation.
Shu (typing…):
Shu:
Slide 1: How I Bagged the World Champion
Slide 2: How I'm Keeping Him
Slide 3: Hands Off, He's Mine 🫶
---
Valt dropped his phone face-down on the bed.
"Shu," he groaned. "We're going to die. Or worse—get roasted alive by every blader we know."
Shu casually rolled on top of him again. "Then we might as well go down making headlines, right?"
Valt stared at him.
"…You're so lucky I love you," he muttered.
"Mm. I know," Shu whispered, grinning against Valt's lips. "Now, where were we?"
---
Scene: Summoned… and Seduced Again
(Continuation)
---
Valt's Hotel Suite – Post-News Chaos
The Legendary Bladers' group chat was still buzzing on Valt's phone like a broken hive, vibrating dangerously close to falling off the nightstand.
Valt had just managed to sit up—shirt slipping off one shoulder, flushed face in a state of full emotional crisis—when suddenly—
He was yanked back down.
"Shu—!"
But his protest was cut off, swallowed in a kiss so deep and feverish that Valt gasped against Shu's mouth, his hands instinctively gripping Shu's shoulders to keep up.
Shu moved like a man starved again. A hand behind Valt's head, the other around his waist, lips claiming him like a promise made all over again.
When they finally parted for air, Shu's voice was husky, low, and shameless:
"I read the chat. Now they all know. And I want to make sure they know exactly what they're jealous of."
Valt, panting, red-faced, and too dazed to think straight, pushed a hand against Shu's chest—weakly.
"W-We've already made headlines, Shu!"
"Mmhm." Shu leaned in, trailing kisses down his jaw. "Let's give them a sequel."
But right as Shu was about to start round two—
BZZZT!
BZZZT!
[WBBA Official Notification]
MANDATORY SUMMON: World Champion Valt Aoi and Manager Shu Kurenai
Location: WBBA HQ Conference Hall, 1 Hour. Subject: Media Containment, Conduct, and Public Clarification.
Valt stared at the screen. "…We're doomed."
Shu, still nestled against his neck, kissed him once more. "You mean they're doomed. We'll be fine."
---
One Hour Later – WBBA HQ Conference Hall
Somehow, by the grace of time dilation and pure panic, Valt had forced Shu to wear an actual shirt. Valt wore a black turtleneck—mostly to cover the damage done the night before.
But it didn't help.
Because Shu hadn't stopped since they left the hotel.
In the car:
"Did I mention how hot you look flustered and freshly kissed?"
In the hallway:
"Let's just 'trip' into a closet for ten minutes. They can wait."
Now, in the meeting room—
Shu sat beside Valt, one leg casually crossed, blazer slightly undone, hand sliding onto Valt's thigh under the table again.
Valt, trying desperately to maintain eye contact with the WBBA chairman, nearly passed out when Shu's fingers started tracing slow circles.
The chairman coughed awkwardly. "Mr. Aoi… Mr. Kurenai… the situation is spiraling. International sponsors are questioning professionalism. Children saw the news. The Canadian branch said their bladers are traumatized—"
"Only the Canadian branch?" Shu murmured, smirking. "We're slipping, love."
Valt elbowed him under the table.
The chairman looked like he was losing years off his life. "This isn't a joke. We need a public statement. Something simple. Mature. Appropriate."
Valt nodded quickly, trying to stay serious. "Of course, we'll issue a clear explanation. Shu and I are… close. We weren't trying to cause any disruption—"
Shu leaned closer. "Say 'lovers.' Say it, baby."
Valt blinked. "Shu—!"
"Louder," Shu whispered shamelessly, lips near his ear now. "So everyone knows. You're mine."
The table shook slightly as Valt slammed both hands on it—half to gain composure, half to avoid collapsing into a melting puddle of blushing agony.
The WBBA chairman stared between them, deadpan. "…Can the two of you go five minutes without—"
Shu kissed Valt's cheek.
In front of everyone.
"No," Shu answered casually. "We really can't."
---
To be continued…
(Next: Damage control… failed. Meanwhile, Free plans a spontaneous intervention, Lui starts a betting pool, and the bladers demand a rematch—Winner gets Valt's attention for five minutes. Shu is not happy.)